


Just a Kid

by TheGirlWithBrightEyes



Series: The Crooked Smile [1]
Category: Takin' Over the Asylum
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Bipolar Disorder, Crying, Developing Friendships, Mental Health Issues, Pre-Canon, Psychological Trauma, Sedated - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-16
Updated: 2019-09-16
Packaged: 2020-11-02 07:10:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20663609
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheGirlWithBrightEyes/pseuds/TheGirlWithBrightEyes
Summary: Fergus is meeting Campbell for the first time when he's just brought in to St Jude's. He's at this point heavily sedated and Fergus feels compelled to protect and comfort the kid, even though he is a complete stranger.





	Just a Kid

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into 中文-普通话 國語 available: [【翻译】Just a Kid](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21427645) by [mally5440](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mally5440/pseuds/mally5440)

> I found distressingly little fanfics for Takin' Over the Asylum that wasn't crossovers in some way, so I wanted to write something for it. 
> 
> This fic is the start of a small series where I explore what Campbell was like before Eddie entered the picture, so it's (for now) entirely pre-canon.
> 
> Please note that Takin' Over the Asylum aired in 1994 and things have changed since. There is no intent to downplay or ridicule mental illnesses. I apologise deeply if there turns up inaccurasies in depiction, research can only take you so far and each and every individual has their own very subjective experiences of life.
> 
> \---
> 
> Excited! <3 My work is generously being translated into Chinese! See link. <3

Fergus didn't get any headsup that he was getting a new roommate before the arrival of Campbell one afternoon. He'd been skulking the corridors after lunch when the nurses appeared with a slender figure in a wheelchair, so heavily sedated his head lolled to one shoulder and body sagged down as far as the straps would let him. Fergus had been petrified, staring at him like a deer in the headlights of an incoming car.

_That's just a kid._

He'd followed the nurses as they went to his room, unbuckling the boy with a sort of hushed urgency before they lifted him over to the bed without him offering up any kind of resistance. He didn't seem aware at all, like a puppet with its strings cut. It was terrifying. As Isabel tucked him in, they noticed Fergus watching like a shadow just outside the room.

"Fergus, this is Campbell," Isabel said softly, lightly caressing a pale forehead before she stood. The boy's only response was to blink lazily, as if he didn't have the energy to do much else. The other nurses stepped back, then left the room. Once they were gone, Isabel motioned for him to come forward and he looked down at the child, chest constricting painfully.

When he'd ended up here himself he'd been deemed too young for such a fate. But this boy...this kid...couldn't be more than 16, maybe 17.

"Campbell," she said clearly and slowly, squeezing the boy's hand. There was no reaction, but his eyes were slightly opened indicating that he was, by some degree, awake. "This is Fergus. You will be sharing a room." Fergus watched, but either Campbell could not or would not turn his head to look. Isabel sighed, wiping a string of drool off the boy's cheek. "I think they overdid the sedation," she said quietly as she stood. " We're not entirely sure what will happen when it wears off, he doesn't have any diagnosis yet. "

She left the room and Fergus watched Campbell for a while, before he slowly stepped over to sit down on the edge of the bed. There was a quiver in his eye lashes, indicating he'd noticed, but no other response. Campbell's hazy eyes watched him for a little while before he lost the battle against sleep.

Fergus remained seated, watching him.

\---

Isabel returned to check on Campbell once an hour, choosing not to comment Fergus holding watch over the kid until supper. At that point Campbell was still sleeping and had not stirred once. After eating, Fergus returned to his vigil, joined momentarily by a few curious patients who had noted he had been absent most of the afternoon. They hovered like ghosts around the bed for a little while before the telly became too much of a distraction.

It wasn't until bedtime, just about when Fergus had changed into his pyjamas, that Campbell stirred. Freezing up at the small sound of moaning and rustle of fabric, Fergus glanced over his shoulder to see that Campbell had managed to turn his head and was now looking up in the ceiling. Shrugging into his nightwear, Fergus turned and edged closer warily. The boy was an unknown entity. He had no idea why he was there, but given the heavy sedation there was a risk he'd get hysterical. Right now though, the expression on Campbell's face was far from hysterics - he looked absolutely defeated, hands fisted around the comforter and jaw slack showing off a bit of teeth. To Fergus horror, tears started to slowly cut their path over his cheeks without any change in expression. It was so devastatingly silent it rocked Fergus to the core.

"They did it." The raspy, barely coherent whisper almost made Fergus jump. It sounded absolutely heartbroken. "They actually sent me away."

Fergus hesitated, unsure what to do. He wasn't good at comforting and he wasn't good with strangers. But this was a child. A lonely, crying child. Making his mind up, he edged over to the bed and sat down again, swallowing as he reached out to cover one of the boy's clutched hands with his. His hand was warm. At the touch, Campbell tilted his head to look at Fergus, brown eyes sad and exhausted, his hand unclenched, seeking comfort wherever he could find it.

"I'm Fergus," Fergus whispered and to his surprise this lured out a small smile, hinting at what the boy would look like happy.

"Hello Fergus," he whispered back rather thickly, exhaling wearily. "'m Campbell." Fergus didn't really know what to say to this as he already knew, but figured Campbell did not remember Isabel's introduction earlier. He nodded slowly, watching new tears run silently down Campbell's face.

"Hungry?" he tried tentatively and Campbell turned his eyes back on the ceiling, smile fading.

"No," he said softly. "But I'm very thirsty." As he said so, Isabel appeared in the doorway. She blinked in surprise and then met Fergus eyes. She nodded, mouthing 'I'll fetch something' before disappearing again. Campbell tilted his head back to look at Fergus, seemingly not having noticed Isabel at all. "Where are we?" he said, frowning.

"St Jude's," Fergus supplied, fairly sure that wasn't very helpful. "Ward 11," he added, not sure if that actually clarified anything. He supposed it wouldn't.

"Let me guess," Campbell said with no small amount of bitterness. "It's a mental hospital?" Fergus shoulders sank. What should he say? Lying wouldn't help, but he didn't know Campbell - even if he seemed harmless at the moment, a pale, skinny figure too weak to speak properly, he didn't know what kind of madness had brought him here. His silence, however, spoke for him. "I thought so," said, sounding deflated and sad. "They've been threatening about it for a couple of years."

"Your parents?" Fergus asked, although he already knew the answer before that little _'aye'_ left Campbell's lips. More tears. Fergus couldn't stand it. "I'm sorry." Campbell sighed and looked sadly at him, eyes shining wet in the low light.

"We're all sorry in the end," he said, startling Fergus. It sounded like something someone many years Campbell's senior would say. It was also far too cynical for someone his age. It hurt. He squeezed the boy's hand slightly and got a reassuring squeeze back along with a small smile. At that, Isabel reappeared with a bottle of water and a straw. She went around Fergus and sat it down on the bedside table, Campbell's eyes following her. His mouth was a thin line and Fergus knew why: the nurse clothes and badge. He'd felt the same when he first got here.

"I've got you some water, Campbell," Isabel said gently. "Let's sit you up a bit while you drink." Fergus made to let go of Campbell's hand, but the youth strengthened his grip instead. He helped Isabel one handed the best he could to sit up propped against his pillows. He was still wearing the colourful sweater and jeans he'd been brought in with and it struck Fergus as tragic. Like he'd been snatched from school, just that day. Fergus moved slightly closer when Campbell threatened to topple him over onto the bed. Isabel eyed the hands and gave Fergus a questioning look, ready to break the touch up.

"It's okay," he mumbled and she let it go, handing Campbell the water bottle. As he took it awkwardly in his free hand, she twirled the straw around so he could catch it between his lips to drink. He didn't argue, just meekly let her help and drank deeply the moment he could. It was a strange, uncomfortable silence while Isabel and Fergus watched him drink only pausing now and then for breathing. It looked as if this simple act was draining him and by the time he'd finished - the bottle almost completely empty - his face was shiny with sweat and the hand Fergus was holding was trembling ever so slightly. Isabel shook her head as she took the bottle away, sighing.

"What on Earth did they give you in that ambulance..." she mumbled, not really a question since neither Fergus nor Campbell was in any position to tell her. It was clear though that whatever it was, it had been a bit too much for a kid Campbell's size. "We'll need to change you into your pyjamas," she then added to Campbell. "Your father came by with some things for you."

It was the wrong thing to say, because Campbell's chin quivered and he turned his face away from her. Fergus could see new tears running down his face as the boy squeezed his eyes shut, ashamed with nowhere to hide. He sobbed quietly. Isabel watched rather helplessly, a sad look on her face before she came around the bed and sat down on the other side, gently touching Campbell's shoulder. He choked slightly but reached out to her with his free hand and she enveloped him in a hug as he cried. She didn't say anything. One thing you learned from experience was that the words _'I know'_ or _'it will be all right'_ rung hollow to someone already out of their depths. It would in no way help in this case.

Fergus said nothing, just held the hand that clutched his as if it was his last life line. A complete stranger the only comfort left.

\---

The next morning Fergus half expected hysterics, but Campbell was strangely subdued. He lay listless in his bed, refusing food but accepted a cup of cocoa originally meant for Fergus when he offered it to him. He sat in bed simply holding the mug, staring into it as if expecting answers. Fergus sat on his own bed, watching, wondering whether he'd actually drink it or just warm his hands on it.

"Should have known it'd come to this, you know," Campbell suddenly said, sipping the cocoa without looking up. "Sooner or later."

"Why?" Fergus asked and the boy shrugged, finally meeting his eyes. He looked like hadn't slept for a week.

"Cause I'm useless," Campbell said with a wry smile. "At everything." he paused, then sighed, letting the mug sink to his lap at a precarious angle. "Could probably wallpaper this hospital with all the notes I've brought back home from school. Spent half me life grounded." Fergus nodded slowly. He couldn't relate to that since he'd gone as far as getting a University degree, but he could understand why it would make Campbell feel useless that he couldn't seem to handle something as simple as primary school. "I just cannae handle sitting down and reading..."He looked broodingly down on his coca before he took a deep breath and downed it in one go. "Thanks for the cocoa, Fergus," he then said. "You're the first to show me any kindness lately. For what it's worth, I appreciate it."

Fergus felt his cheeks go hot at that and shrugged uncomfortably.

"Don't mentioned it," he said gruffly, not wanting to admit that he liked hearing someone appreciating him. As he looked up, Campbell was smiling properly this time and it was contagious. Before he could help himself he was smiling back.

"Ah, we'll be friends here, Fergus," Campbell said, for the first time sounding happy. The thought seemed to give him strength. "You and me."


End file.
